Name:     ID: 
 
Email: 

Fall 2014 Semester Exam; Biology

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 1. 
Which of the following are likely topics in a biology course?
a.
Why does the Texas horned lizard squirt blood out of its eyes?
b.
How is a banded pipefish able to hide in its environment of seaweeds?
c.
What chemicals cause plant stems to lengthen or flowers to bloom?
d.
All of these.
 

 2. 
Which of the following would most likely be the major focus of a biologist?
a.
bacteria found in hot springs
b.
the composition of water in hot springs
c.
the temperature of hot springs
d.
the location of hot springs
 

 3. 
Which topic falls under the study of biology?
a.
the chemicals in fuel
b.
the makeup of the atmosphere
c.
rocks found in a riverbed
d.
the digestive system of an earthworm
 

 4. 
Which is not a topic of biology?
a.
the relationship between fungi and trees
b.
the distribution of sand on an ocean floor
c.
the chemicals at work in the stomach
d.
the speed at which a hummingbird flies
 

 5. 
What is a possible benefit of studying plants in the rain forest?
a.
The plants may hold medicines to treat human diseases.
b.
The plants may produce needed carbon dioxide.
c.
The plants may be cut down and sold in floral shops.
d.
The plants may make toxins for human consumption.
 

 6. 
A person studying a topic is presented with new information that conflicts with previous findings. What would a scientist do in this situation?
a.
ignore the new information
b.
argue against the new information
c.
evaluate the new information
d.
keep the new information to himself
 

 7. 
Which of the following is an observation?
a.
You record the air temperature every day for a week.
b.
You propose that a cold front is approaching.
c.
You hypothesize that the temperature will increase tomorrow.
d.
You conclude that the season is changing.
 

 8. 
Tasha is testing the effect of blue-colored light on the growth of tomato plants. Which is the independent variable in this experiment?
a.
light color
c.
amount of light
b.
light intensity
d.
temperature of light
 

 9. 
Which of the following best describes a benefit of studying biology.
a.
One is able to experiment on a variety of animals.
b.
One is able to intelligently debate issues such as cloning.
c.
One is able to preserve the animals that are extinct.
d.
One is able to understand the causes of changes in weather.
 

 10. 
Which of the following correctly sequences the steps of the scientific method?
a.
question, observe, explain, design and conduct experiment, collect and analyze data, report findings
b.
observe, question, make a testable explanation, experiment, collect and analyze data, state findings
c.
form a hypothesis, observe, investigate a testable question, collect and analyze data, state results
d.
design and conduct an investigation based on a testable question, form a hypothesis, collect data, state findings
 

 11. 
Cougars are predators that often eat weakened or diseased animals. This is a description of the ____ of cougars.
a.
habitat
c.
niche
b.
community
d.
none of these
 

 12. 
Which of the following information could be included in the description of a grasshopper’s niche, but not in a description of its habitat?
a.
continent where it lives
c.
plant species it eats
b.
locations where it shelters
d.
temperatures it experiences
 

 13. 
Which of the following would be the easiest way to diagram predatory and parasitic relationships between several species?
a.
biomass pyramid
c.
food web
b.
food chain
d.
numbers pyramid
 

 14. 
Which process describes nitrogen fixation?
a.
animals eat plants containing nitrogen and return it to the soil through urination
b.
bacteria take nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form usable by plants
c.
organisms die and are decomposed into ammonia in the soil
d.
plants take nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots
 

 15. 
Some farmers use manure on their crop fields.  How does this help the plants?
a.
protects them from intense sunlight
b.
keeps insects from eating the crops
c.
increases soil nitrogen and phosphorus levels
d.
increases soil oxygen and carbon dioxide levels
 

 16. 
Which of the following allows the flow of energy through an ecosystem to happen?
a.
abiotic factors
c.
evaporation
b.
cycling of nutrients
d.
predation
 

 17. 
A student notices that her guppies reproduce most when her fish tank water is slightly alkaline. They stop reproducing if the water becomes acidic or if the water becomes too alkaline. This is an example of ____.
a.
secondary succession
c.
communities
b.
zones of tolerance
d.
intertidal zones
 
 
Ling feeds her guppies one-half teaspoon of fish food every day. The average guppy population in her aquarium over a four-month period is 38 guppies. She increased the food to one teaspoon per day. After a four-month period, the average population is 53 guppies.
 

 18. 
Which of the following statements is supported by these data?
a.
The size of the aquarium was a limiting factor.
b.
Food was a limiting factor.
c.
As long as Ling keeps adding more food, the guppy population will continue to grow.
d.
Guppies reproduce rapidly.
 

 19. 
If you were dropped off on the North American continent at a latitude of 40° N, which of the following climate zones would you discover there?
a.
polar
c.
temperate
b.
tropical
d.
arctic
 

 20. 
Which of these species might be classified as a pioneer species?
a.
ponderosa pine
c.
aspen
b.
choke cherry
d.
lichen
 

 21. 
Density, distribution, and growth rate are characteristics used to classify which one of the following?
a.
biomes
c.
limiting factors
b.
populations
d.
age structure
 

 22. 
Which of the following involves a situation in which a density-dependent factor influences a population?
a.
Several seasons passed during which rainfall was ample, winters were not severe and food for snow hares was in good supply.
b.
A hurricane severely disrupted a salt marsh and uprooted most of the marsh grass in an estuary.
c.
A forest fire on the north side of a mountain forced the white-tailed deer from the north side to move into the range of the white-tailed deer on the south side of the mountain, making food more scarce.
d.
After a heavy rain, pesticides that were applied to a cotton crop to control weevils ran off into a waterway that flows next to a field.
 

 23. 
On ten acres of native forest there are eight white-tailed deer, seven coyotes, 45 armadillos, and 231 loblolly pine trees. Which population has the highest density?
a.
white-tailed deer
c.
armadillos
b.
coyotes
d.
loblolly pine trees
 

 24. 
Which partly explains why the domestication of animals tended to increase the human food supply?
a.
Domesticated animals provided food and labor for cultivation.
b.
Domesticated animals were playful companions.
c.
The fur, skin, and feathers of domesticated animals could be used for trade.
d.
Domesticated animals had to be fed as well.
 

 25. 
What is likely to be true of a population with an age structure that is pyramid shaped?
a.
It is expected to grow slowly in the future.
b.
It is expected to decline in population size over time.
c.
It has potential for rapid growth in the future.
d.
This age structure is characteristic of zero population growth.
 

 26. 
The total number of atoms in a molecule of sucrose, C12H22O11, is ____.
a.
11
c.
22
b.
12
d.
45
 

 27. 
Which particle in the nucleus of an atom has a neutral charge?
a.
carbon
c.
neutron
b.
electron
d.
proton
 

 28. 
One isotope of carbon differs from another in which way?
a.
atomic number
c.
number of neutrons
b.
number of electrons
d.
number of protons
 

 29. 
A single covalent bond forms when two atoms do which of these?
a.
when they share one electron
b.
when they share two electrons
c.
when one gives an electron to the other
d.
when one gives two electrons to the other
 

 30. 
Which is an example of a chemical reaction?
a.
ice melting
c.
sugar dissolving in water
b.
iron rusting
d.
water evaporating
 

 31. 
Two substances are combined and heat is produced. Does this provide evidence that a chemical reaction took place?
a.
No, because heat is not a chemical.
b.
No, because this would be a physical change.
c.
Yes, because energy is absorbed.
d.
Yes, because energy is released.
 

 32. 
Which property is responsible for the fact that water and oil do not mix?
a.
density
c.
phase
b.
mass
d.
polarity
 

 33. 
Amino acids are the building blocks of which macromolecule?
a.
carbohydrate
c.
lipid
b.
DNA
d.
protein
 

 34. 
What did scientists observe using the earliest microscopes.
a.
atoms
c.
molecules
b.
cell parts
d.
tiny organisms
 

 35. 
A scientist at the polar ice cap was studying an ice sample from hundred of meters below the surface. While examining the ice, the scientist found some cells from many years ago. Using an electron microscope, the scientist identified these cell structures: a cytoskeleton, mitochondrion, nucleus, cell wall, and ribosomes. What kind of organism did the scientist find?
a.
animal
c.
plant
b.
bacteria
d.
He did not have enough information.
 

 36. 
At what point in the process of diffusion is dynamic equilibrium reached?
a.
when the movement of the molecules stops being random
b.
when the molecules are mixed and stop moving
c.
when the rate of change in the solution slows by one half
d.
when there is continuous movement but no change
 

 37. 
A plant cell is placed in a hypotonic solution. What will happen to the plant cell?
a.
It will swell.
c.
It will stay the same.
b.
It will shrink.
d.
It will wilt.
 

 38. 
Algal cells are placed in an isotonic solution. Additional amounts of solutes are slowly added to the solution. What happens to the cells?
a.
They will begin to swell.
c.
They will stay the same.
b.
They will burst.
d.
They will shrink.
 

 39. 
Which statement is a fundamental principle of the cell theory?
a.
All cells have a plasma membrane.
b.
Eukaryotic cells are larger than prokaryotic cells.
c.
Living organisms are composed of cells.
d.
The genetic material in cells is DNA.
 

 40. 
Which statement is true about bacterial cells?
a.
The cells are very large.
c.
They are eukaryotes.
b.
The cells have no nucleus.
d.
They have organelles.
 

 41. 
Which is present only in eukaryotic cells?
a.
cell membrane
c.
DNA
b.
chromosomes
d.
nucleus
 

 42. 
Which organelle converts sugars into energy?
a.
lysosome
c.
nucleus
b.
mitochondrion
d.
ribosome
 

 43. 
What is a major difference between facilitated diffusion and active transport?
a.
Active transport moves substances against the concentration gradient.
b.
Active transport uses proteins in the process.
c.
Facilitated diffusion moves molecules through the plasma membrane.
d.
Facilitated diffusion requires large amounts of energy.
 

 44. 
What types of materials are expelled from cells during exocytosis?
a.
large molecules such as hormones
b.
positive and negative ions
c.
small molecules such as carbon dioxide
d.
water and glycerol
 

 45. 
Both Schwann and Virchow developed important theories about cells in the mid 1800s. Which best explains the reason these theories were made within a few years of each other?
a.
Hooke’s Micrographia inspired both theories.
b.
New microscopes provided better viewing of cells.
c.
Scientists invented the microscope in the mid 1800s.
d.
The electron microscope was used for the first time.
 

 46. 
Chloroplasts are organelles that convert light energy to sugars. These organelles are found only in plants. Which organelles are found only in animals?
a.
golgi apparatus
c.
mitochondria
b.
lysosomes
d.
ribosomes
 

 47. 
Which might you study in a biology course?
a.
communication across telephone wires
b.
communication over fiber optics
c.
communication by satellite
d.
communication among birds
 

 48. 
Which describes a major benefit that bioengineering technology has provided to society?
a.
Its applications include the development of new plastics for airplanes.
b.
Its applications include the development of pacemakers and artificial limbs.
c.
Its applications include larger capacity for handheld music devices.
d.
Its applications include more energy-efficient fossil fuels.
 

 49. 
Which best describes the purpose of science?
a.
to explain the nature of things
b.
to propose solutions to political issues
c.
to solve the ethical problems of society
d.
to debate the meaning of life
 

 50. 
In the peer-review process for a report of the results of a study on the ecology of honeybees, who would be an appropriate reviewer?
a.
a politician that knew about bees
b.
a biologist studying insects
c.
a university president
d.
a physicist that keeps bees
 



 
         Start Over